The southern Empire of Mulhirad is the bastion of humanity, and the core of the coalition states. A vast, arid land of rich, hot prairie and sprawling cities where the empire is all powerful, and the Pillars of Zalhoon marks its ancestral home, and greatest fastness. From the splendid White City of Pashadan the Tisrah of Mulhirad rules over the greatest empire in the history of Manus, and unofficially leads the nations collectively known as the Coalition.

The Land

Mulhirad is a truly vast land, and it comprises all manner of terrain in its expansive borders. In the north, arid grasslands are under heavy cultivation, and one can's wander for too long without spying a small settlement somewhere. Gentle winds blow long tussocks and hardy wild flowers in the shade of Zalhoon's Jawbone, the dense mountainous region that divides the central passage from the even more populous and temperate eastern coast. These clay-coloured mountain ranges are characterized by massive mesas, with sheer sides that can reach hundreds of meters straight up, and broad, barren, windswept plateaus of red dust at their tops. The passage extends between the Jawbone and the Dorondos, from hilly plains down to dense, steaming jungle. The western and eastern coasts are more temperate, more populous, and generally more pleasant, with expansive savannah, broad golden beaches and azure seas. In the far south Mulhirad meets its natural border in the form of the Parched Sea - a desert prone to such extremes that as one travels south through it the sand is broken by long expanses of glass, like grand rivers frozen in time.

Climate

tba

Wildlife

tba

The People

Peoples and Culture

The Mulharadi are descended from a dark-skinned, desert dwelling people. But since the human race so intermingled in order to survive in the aftermath of the defeat of the invaders, they have become just as mixed as any other human race (with the exception of the Haradi nomads). Indeed, pale skin has become a mark of beauty, because a man with skin like milk clearly need not toil under the harsh sun. The men are mostly bearded, and flowing robes, turbans and wooden shoes with an upturned point at the toe are common items of clothing, and the preferred weapon is the scimitar. Lavish palaces and grandiose architecture dominate the great cities of Mulhirad, especially the capitol, the so-called 'white city' of Pashadaan, where pure white marble is everywhere. The lasting impression of Mulhiradi culture is one that is ornate to the point of ostentation. The people of Mulhirad are concerned with maintaining honour and face, and foreigners often find them pretentious when they speaking in maxims and quote their ancient poets. Veneration of elders and absolute deference to power are marks of Mulhiradi society. Power and wealth determine class and social standing, and slavery is commonplace. The unit of currency is the golden Talen, though powerful merchant houses issuing notes of credit is becoming more and more commonplace.

Coffee Houses

Socialization is very important to the Mulhiradi. Business is conducted informally, and the hospitality shown to a potential client is as, if not more important than the quality of the goods on offer. Coffee shops are where people gather to exchanged information, make agreements, arrange marriages and dozens of other centrally important cultural landmarks. Coffee serves as an excuse to bring people together from different homes, and for the women to leave the home and gather, or for the men to stay and socialize when the day's work is done. As a result coffee houses are usually filled with women during the daylight hours, while the men work, and with men at night before they return to their homes, where they assemble to drink coffee, listen to music, read books, play chess and backgammon, perhaps hear a recitation from the works of a priest, poet or diplomat. While coffee houses also serve herbal teas, tea is considered a sign of weakness or passivity, and is always ordered with a modicum of shame.

Clothing

Men wear loose, baggy trousers gathered at the ankle, loose colourful coats, a turban or high-crowned hat; and wooden clogs, or pointed-toed slippers on the feet. The wealthy or the powerful wear embroidered, decorative caftans with fur or silk lining, whereas the middle class wear shapeless, high-collared tunics and vests. Bashlyks are the most prominent accessory of social status. The more powerful or wealthy a man is, the higher and more showy his turban will be, and where a poor tradesman might wear one loosely wrapped in white or cream, wealthy merchants and royal ministers regularly wear turbans wrapped thrice the height of their heads and twice the width. Meanwhile poor men with no trade, such as labourers and beggars, wear a modest fez. It is considered impolite to forsake head wear altogether Fur is material of prestige. Women's wear is more showy and extravagant with adorned hair buns and tailoring, and while a woman would never go bareheaded, many wear a diaphanous veil that displays the decorated hair without uncovering it. Women are forbidden from uncovering their faces in public places, though may do so in their homes without offending.

Language

tba

Politics

The overall ruler of the Mulhiradi Empire is called the Tisrah, and is believed by the Mulhiradi people to have descended in a direct line from Muhabbah Pasha, to whom the people offer praise as a prophet of Zalhoon, as the liberator of Mulhirad. The Mulhiradi always follow a mention of the Tisrsh with the phrase "may he live forever" - even if they don't truly mean the sentiment . Below the Tisrah are his sons the Tarashi, a Grand Vizier, and the nobled class, who are addressed as Tarkaans and Tarkheenas. The nobility wear a band of gold on their upper arm, and their marriages are usually pre-arranged at a young age. Often before birth. Beneath them are soldiers of the empire's vast army, merchants, and the peasantry, with slaves being the lowest rung on the social ladder. The Mulhiradi leaders are portrayed as quite war-like, though they are no more or less so than humans of any other land, but the Tisrah has, by long-standing tradition, spent the years before his ascension as a hostage of the Haradi in the south, where he learns to fight like a demon, and live in the brutal desert, making him harder and more ruthless than most of his people.

The Blood Eagle

The Blood Eagle is a method of execution reserved for the crime of consorting with the tyrants in the lands of Mulhirad - a charge more versatile and prevalent than one might expect. It is performed by cutting the ribs of the victim by the spine, breaking the ribs so they resembled blood-stained wings, and pulling the lungs out through the wounds in the victim's back. Salt was sprinkled in the wounds despite the fact the victim is undoubtedly dead long before this point.

Military

tba

The Golden Bulls

tba

Economy

tba

Government: Feudal Monarchy under the Great Tisrah, Abdulamad PashaPredominant Religions: Pillars of Zalhoon.Major Industry: Agriculture (Rye, barley, wheat, corn, olives), salt, coffee and spices, weaving and textiles, sculpture and stonework, various skilled trades.Usual Climate: Arid and sunny.Predominant Terrains: Arid plains and hills in the north and scorching desert in the south. Light jungle along the Dorondo border, and occasional low mountain ranges, especially along the northern borders.Predominant Language: Mulhandi.